How to Reach Muktinath - By Flights, Helicopter, Train, Road, Bus, Car

Adorned within the surreal scenic beauty of Mustang Valley in Nepal, Muktinath temple is an ancient place of worship dedicated to a form of Lord Vishnu. Reaching here considered to be a fulfilling destiny for every devout Hindu. It is a popular belief that if one does not go for the Muktinath Dham Yatra their Char Dham Yatra of Uttarakhand remains not completely achieved. Seated amidst the breathtaking natural beauty of the hilly areas this ancient and humble temple dedicated to the lord of justice or Muktinath is not only a spiritual getaway but is a wonderful adventurous experience as well.

Reaching Muktinath has always been difficult yet very much doable. If you plan on making this spiritually awakening easier for yourself then here is a complete guide on how you can reach Muktinath Dham with much ease and comfort. There are 2 starting points for this Yatra one is from Pokhara and another one is from Jomsom.

By Helicopter

Muktinath Darshan via helicopter Yatra will take you to the temple in just 1.5 hours making it the fastest and the most convenient way of getting to the temple. You can choose your starting and ending place between Pokhara and Jomsom since these are the only 2 places containing helipads. If you have plans of exploring Pokhara additionally then you can get off at Pokhara helipad stay there for a night, indulge in some sightseeing activity and take a cab back to Kathmandu. Remember that 1 helicopter can accommodate 5 to 6 people so it would be a nice idea to gather and split the cost of Muktinath helicopter package to make it more reasonable.

By Road

There are regular jeep services available in Kathmandu for Muktinath Yatra Darshan. This road journey will be of 6 to 7 hours, depending on the traffic influx. The route map followed for this is: Kathmandu – Pokhara (6 hours) – Jomsom (via Beni, Tatopani, Ghasa and Marpha) 9 hours – Muktinath. You can also choose to stay for the night in either Jomsom or Pokhara.

By Train

The nearest railway station is present in Pokhara and Kathmandu which caters to a number of trains connecting various parts of India. You will be required to stay at Pokhara / Kathmandu for the night before heading on for the journey to Muktinath. From outside the railway station you can catch a bus heading for Jomsom or even hire a cab / taxi service which will be kind of expensive but will guarantee a comfortable and a safe Yatra. To avoid all the hassles related to booking then you can even avail a well-priced Muktinath Dham Packages.

Road and Flight Combo

You must carve out at least a week of days to visit Muktinath is you are choosing to go by this option. Your road journey will commence from Kathmandu and then drive on till Pokhara. After spending a night halt here, the next day you will be flown to Jomsom which will be a flight journey of around 15 – 20 minutes. On reaching Jomsom a brief hike of around half n hour will lead you to the jeep station from where your 1.5 hours of jeep journey will lead you up till the gateway of Muktinath temple from where the main temple structure is a few kms away via a pony / Palki service or by walking.

Required Travel Permits to Muktinath:

Since the temple of Muktinath is located within a protected region there are some important paperwork and permits required to enter the region which are:
Annapurna Conservation Area Project Permit or ACAP – it can be obtained from the Nepal tourism board which is located in Bhrikuti Mandap in Kathmandu and Pokhara.
Trekker’s Information Management System Permit or TIMS – this permit can be collected from Saatghumti, Thamel in Kathmandu and even at Mali Gaun or Pokhara.

Best Time to Go for Muktinath Yatra:

Being situated in a very remote location which is also difficult to reach you must plan your trip accordingly keeping in mind the weather conditions as priority. Any mismanagement or ignorance from your side in this case may even cause you to cancel your trip. The best time to go on this legendary Yatra are during the months of March to May and from mid-September to December. During the said months the weather is clear and the snowcapped peaks are also visible making your pilgrimage extremely pleasant and comfortable.